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Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Banana Sour Cream Chocolate Chip Muffins

Talk about feeling foolish ... I had every intention of entering last week's Blogger's Secret Ingredient Challenge (BSI). The secret ingredient, as chosen by Christina of Dinner at Christina's, was sour cream. Wonderful, I love sour cream. I knew right away that I wanted to bake something and I bought all of the ingredients to do so on Sunday.

I did not, however, make careful note of the challenge entry deadline. It was midnight on Sunday ... and I had planned to bake the muffins on Monday. Oops! No wonder I've never participated in BSI, I can't seem to get my act together!

And, meanwhile, I've got a bunch of bananas ripening on my counter and a tub of sour cream in the fridge. Let's get to it, shall we?

Better Late Than Never Banana Sour Cream Chocolate Chip Muffins:

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup white whole wheat flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

pinch of salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon Chinese Five Spice Powder, optional

3 ripe bananas, peeled

1 cup of reduced fat sour cream

1 stick of butter, room temperature

1/2 cup of granulated sugar

1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract

2 large eggs, room temperature

1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Pre heat your oven to 350 degrees F.

1.In a large bowl, combine the flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and Chinese Five Spice Powder. Whisk well with a wire whisk to combine and set aside.

2.Break the bananas into thirds and place the in the bowl of your food processor, pulse until chopped. Add 1 cup of sour cream to the bananas and process until combined and smooth. Reserve. (Alternately, you could mash bananas with a fork and whisk in the sour cream by hand.)

3.Using an standing electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and beat to combine. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat well until light and fluffy.

4.Add the flour mixture by thirds, alternating with the banana mixture, beating only until blended, until all of the dry and wet ingredients have been added. Do not over beat. Add the mini chocolate chips and fold-in to incorporate, using a rubber spatula.

5.Grease a large muffin tin with butter and fill each cup 3/4 of the way up with batter. Bake in the middle of a pre-heated 350 degree F oven for 18 - 22 minutes, or until lightly browned and cooked throughout. Baking time will vary depending on the speed of your oven. The muffins are cooked when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes then remove to a wire rack. Serve warm.

As written, this recipe will yield 18 muffins.

While I may not have made them in time for the BSI challenge, I'm exceedingly glad I made these muffins period. They are spectacular! Moist, tender, just-sweet-enough, and full of that oh-so-luscious chocolate/banana flavor. They're so good I could smack myself!

As always, you should feel free to vary the choice of flour according to your needs. You can use 2 cups of all-purpose white flour, or any combination of the above. In addition, you may also choose to use 1/2 cup of agave nectar, in place of the sugar. If so, bake the muffins at 325 degrees F and begin checking for done-ness at 15 to 18 minutes.

The origin of these muffins is unclear. I found the recipe on a scrap of paper in my battered old recipe box and I've changed it up a bit by reducing the amount of sugar, using reduced fat sour cream and adding the spices. As far as the spices go, feel free to experiment. I love the subtle hint of warmth the Chinese Five Spice brings to the mix and cinnamon is always a must for me. Your mileage may vary, of course.

So, do you bake with sour cream? If so, what's your favorite way to include it? Hungry Diva wants to know.

22 comments:

Banana sour cream chocolate chip is definitely a muffin for me! I think the addition of Chinese five-spice powder is really interesting. It's something more than the cinnamon I would think to throw in. I might have to try that.

Megan - you could certainly up the amount of 5 spice, if you wish. As written, its subtle, but I will probably add a bit more next time.

Christina - happy to link up to you! Still sorry I missed the challenge, but these muffins are so good, I'm feeling better already!

Mo Diva - mmm, sour cream cake! So, so good! Thank you, sister Diva!!

words words words - funny you mention the walnuts, I had to resist the temptation to add them ... but I'm glad I did. I like the flavor of these muffins just as they are without the nuts. I'm glad that meets with your approval. ;)

As you well know, Diva dear, your Grandma Pam used to make a wicked sour cream cake with a box cake mix and some other ingredients. It was a holiday staple. Haven't made it in awhile but you reminded me. Love sour cream in any form but try to stay away. Now and then it won't hurt, though, will it?

Diva, your muffins look out of this world - the texture looks PERFECT!! SO cool how you added the chinese five spice powder - I'm really looking forward to fixing and sampling these! I imagine the bit of spice is divine with the chocolate! :-)

I quite like baking with sour cream - it adds a lovely depth of texture, and I like swapping low-fat or fat-free sour cream for oil or butter in many recipes! I do think sour-cream muffins are my fav... :-) and sour-cream pancakes! :-)

I love me a banana chocolate chip muffin with sour cream for that moist tangy bite and the addition of 5-spice intrigues me. What a great idea to amp up an already delicious flavor combo. This is one where you take a bite and go "MMMM what is it that makes this so much better than any other banana muffin I've had?" SO creative and something I must try soon :)

I must say there were far and away the best muffins I've ever made. They're going into regular rotation for sure!

Dana - white whole wheat flour is whole wheat flour that has been more finely milled. I buy it from King Arthur Flour's site ... because I can't find it in the market either. I use it in everything, in place of all-purpose flour.

About Me

Must I really describe myself here? You know me, you love me, you can't live without me. I'm just your typical every day Diva with a tiara in one hand and a bag of Doritos in the other. Sure I need to lose some weight, but what else is new? Pay strict attention cuz there will be a quiz. Warning, there's going to be a lot of chicken recipes posted here ... and no small amount of cursing.